MORE DEAD FISH

[fischnrod]

These hot summer tournaments just aint good for the fish, i counted four or five 3 lb fish dead at Chester Frosp park this morning. I love to tournament fish when i can but i wish there was a way to improve on the mortality rate.

 

[beetlespin]

Chester Frost just doesn't have a very good place to put the fish back in the water. Its a really shallow flat and they have to swim a long way through hot water to get back to deep water.

 

[Guest]

I dont know if harrison bay is any better saw many dead fish around there tues. evening.

 

[dec1]

I think Tx's should require Tx anglers to take their fish home and eat them after they weigh their fish every Tx. That way no one could complain how they were treated or the mortality rates. It would be 100% percent dead fish. Would that make everyone feel better as long as its under TWRA guidelines?

 

[Guest]

I believe that tournament fishing is responsible for more dead fish than by any other means. Summer tournaments are worse but there are always dead bass floating near the weigh in sites. I have seen it all my life and even though it is better now than it was 30 years ago with better aeration and better chemicals it still happens. Guys say that they genuinely care about the fishery but they continue to fish in 90 plus degree water and bounce their catches around in livewells for hours. Please don't take me wrong here folks. I am not against tournaments but I am against the wasted fish that some hungry folks could use.

 

[polo-dog]

It would be interesting to see if a tournament trail would fly that would incorporate a picture on a measuring stick and a full view pic of the fish with a digital scale readout. That might make the weighins less exciting but it might decrease mortality and morbidity in the fish population.

 

[Guest]

I think all tourneys should go to a three fish limit once water temps go above 80. It would also be helpfull to incorporate a live tank scale at the weigh-ins. Fish handling could be better than what I have witnessed at the txs also. I have seen studies that say you increase mortality by holding larger fish just by the Lip/jaw so a supporting hand under the belly should help the larger fish. It has been hard to break my habit of this but I am trying.

 

[TAzGa]

Teamchatterbait - 8/3/2008 5:53 PM

I think all tourneys should go to a three fish limit once water temps go above 80. It would also be helpfull to incorporate a live tank scale at the weigh-ins. Fish handling could be better than what I have witnessed at the txs also. I have seen studies that say you increase mortality by holding larger fish just by the Lip/jaw so a supporting hand under the belly should help the larger fish. It has been hard to break my habit of this but I am trying.

I'll try this if I can get some fish that large emoAngler

 

[beetlespin]

I would like to know if anybody on here can go out bass fishing and catch 100 bass and none of them die. If the boat operator knows how to manage his/her livewell they will take very good care of the fish. I don't care who you are, you are going to hook some fish in some bad places. We had two hooked deep saturday and these fish were caught early. We got them in the well with plenty of green stuff and ice and they were fine. I don't think you will find anybody that tries harder to keep fish alive than a tx fisherman. Unfortunatly everybody's fish are weighed in at the same time in the same place and when a few die it leaves people with the impression that tournaments are killing fish. Those fish probably would have died anyway but you would never see them because they would float in less obvious places. I do wish weigh ins were handled more quickly though.

BS

 

[drumking]

I am like Cheez in that I hate to see a waste of good fish, but on the other hand, I don't think that the Tx guys are hurting the bass population by the numbers of fish that die as a result of being caught, stressed out, handled wrong, and then released. If that were the case, I'm sure that the TWRA biologists would reduce the limits on bass. In a reservoir the size of Chickamauga, Nickajack, Watts Bar, and Gunnersville, there is no way that fishing alone can deplete the population. In a five acre lake, then yes, a lot of harm could be done.

This is a passionate subject and one that leads to a lot of hard feelings among fishermen. My brothers, this thing should not be. I'm not going to say anything negative about TX fishermen and I would hope that they won't say anything about my keeping legal size bass to eat, if I so choose. I happen to like bass a whole lot better than crappie as far as table fare is concerned. I don't keep many, cause I don't fish for them, but if a particular stupid bass hits one of my crappie jigs and it is 15" long, then there is a good chance that he won't be around to ride around in a Tx boat livewell. emoBigsmile emoGeezer There! I've said it and I feel so much better. emoBigsmile

 

[Buoy-Master]

Beeltespin and Dickey have made some great points on this. My thoughts exactly.

I know that CBA spent a bunch of money this year to build weigh in containers. I'd like to hear from them on what they have seen from previous years to this year.

 

[tennfisher]

drumking - 8/4/2008 8:02 AM

.........This is a passionate subject and one that leads to a lot of hard feelings among fishermen. My brothers, this thing should not be. I'm not going to say anything negative about TX fishermen and I would hope that they won't say anything about my keeping legal size bass to eat, if I so choose. I happen to like bass a whole lot better than crappie as far as table fare is concerned. I don't keep many, cause I don't fish for them, but if a particular stupid bass hits one of my crappie jigs and it is 15" long, then there is a good chance that he won't be around to ride around in a Tx boat livewell. emoBigsmile emoGeezer There! I've said it and I feel so much better. emoBigsmile

Don't hold back DK, tell us how you really feel emoBigsmile emoBigsmile

Tennfisher

 

[hl&s]

There are some new products available to help with livewell and post release mortality. Keep-em-Cool offers a livewell cooling device that runs off your battery. Livewell vents are also available to increase the oxygen content and help cool livewell water on hot days.

The bass boat industry is hard at work trying to come up with a reasonably priced temp/oxygen control system to keep our fish healthier.

But even when a better system becomes available, there will still be some fish that won't survive, just as it is with catfishing, crappie fishing, bream fishing, bluegill fishing, and so on. Some fish are weak but still alive when released and die shortly after. You can't be sure on those if they will revive ok or not. I still release them and give them the chance. If they die, they don't go to total waste. Turtles have to eat too.

I've seen dead fish after a tx offered to, and taken, by bank fishermen and anyone else in the area that wants them. I'm sure if there were any hungry in the area they would be welcome to them.

 

[Dropshot]

I have been very lucky in that I have a large livewell and the pro-air system seem to keep the fish lively and in good shape. I like the idea of a live tank scale, and would love to think of a way to set one up. I also agree that the way fish are treated while waiting to be weighed in has a definite effect on their survival chances. I have tried during our dogfights and tournaments this summer to start weighing in fish as soon as I can so we can get them back in the water very quickly.

 

[dlmille]

I think the best solution to the problem would be to limit the tx to 3 fish limit and require a tank at weigh in with cool water to help the bass chances. I counted 5 bass last saturday at the HBSP dock that were 3 plus pounders dead when I started my shift. Also it would help to have the scales set up for weigh in and not have to wait and hold fish in bags when tx are over.

 

[Buoy-Master]

Maybe use of that area by the ramp would help too instead of having to walk your fish all the way into the parking lot.

The tanks are a great idea...3 fish is a great idea...lessening the hours is a great idea, BUT..alot of people still do not know how to or just dont care to keep those fish healthy during the live well ride. That's a BIG key into keeping them alive. I've lost 2 fish this year. 1 I fizzed wrong the other got a deep hook. I'm pretty happy with my results so far.

 

[MrWiskers]

BBass - 8/4/2008 1:45 PMI've lost 2 fish this year. 1 I fizzed wrong the other got a deep hook. I'm pretty happy with my results so far.

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But you only caught 5 total so 40% is not that good.emoLaugh emoLaugh emoLaugh </p>

 

[Buoy-Master]

Kiss my Bass Michael! I just knew someone would fire that back at me. LOL.

 

[SpurHunter]

I think I am going to start bass-fishing, and eating them all, that way, there wont be any keepers left for yall to catch and kill in the live-well....... emoPoke

 

[AThornton]

that wouldnt affect me all that much, seeing as I cant catch a keeper as it is! maybe it would just level the playing field for me Spur!!